Conversations
Conversations is a series of talks —online and onsite—between artists, curators, gallerists, and arts professionals that brings an in-depth dimension to the key themes and ideas shaping photography today.
PHOTOFAIRS 2024 PROGRAM
26 April
14:00 – 15:00
The Essence of Photography Collecting
Wang Xi, head of development, Xie Zilong Photography Museum
Cherry Xu, collector
Sabrina Sui, collector, founder of Surplus Space
Moderator: Tyra Wang, China Representative and Editorial Manager, Larry’s List
Why is it important to be aware of photography collecting, and how to form a system to collect photography? The talk invites heads of organizations, collectors and art professionals to share the beginning of their collecting journey and the essence of their collection. From their perspectives, this talk aims to rethink the future of photography collecting in China from their respective careers, the history of their collection, and personal orientation.
15:30 – 17:00
Annual Report of Chinese Contemporary Photography and Video Arts Series Forum: Creator of Future Images
Gao Yutao, artist
Li Tingwei, artist
Hedda Schattanik & Roman Szczesny, artists
Moderator: Yang Di, artist, curator
This talk invites two groups of young artists from Düsseldorf, Germany, and two Chinese artists with multicultural learning and creation backgrounds. Together with the audience, this talk will encompass how cross-regional creators work with artificial intelligence and how they foresee the future of visual creation in the era of technology. The talk is organized by Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art and supported by the German Consulate General in Shanghai.
27 April
14:00 – 15:00
Photography: Twilight of the Ritual
Lu Mingjun, curator | Ma Liang, artist
Li Xiaoliang, artist Moderator:
Xu Tianyi, curator, HOW Art Museum
Since the emergence and popularization of the internet and smartphones, the ritualistic aspect of photography and the concept of photography studios gradually faded from the public imagination. However, traditional film photography (including some digital works) highlights the concept of ritual. Maleonn and Li Xiaoliang are both “photographic fundamentalist”. The conversation invites audiences to explore how they guard this ritual through their artworks.
15:30 – 16:30
Aesthetics in Social Context: How Technology and Art in Photography Reach Humanity
Dong Wensheng, artist I Lu Yuanmin, artist
Li Yidi, representative of Place M China
Su Yuhuan, marketing head of Guo Jiu Yuan Trading Company Ltd.
Moderator: Bian Ka, writer
Photography was once seen as an alternative for painting at the time of its invention, which meant that photography, with its technical and artistic identities, could intervene more quickly and actively in society. Some artists travelled around the city and the wilderness with their cameras, while others returned to the darkroom with their films. However, regardless of how the artists work, they inevitably enter into the social reality with complexity. We are curious about how artists examine their working methods in the context of social issues and how they rebuild the methodology of art and technology, and new aesthetics.
17:00 – 18:00
Xiaohongshu Image Discovery Project | Image and Imagination
Yan Ming, artist
Lin Zhipeng (aka No.223), artist
Yateng Laoyeye, photographer
A Te, head of Xiaohongshu Image Discovery Project
In this talk, we have the pleasure of welcoming three photography artists, each distinguished by their unique style and positioned at varying stages of their artistic journey. They’re also friends of the photography branch/community of Xiaohongshu. They’ll be sharing their experiences in image creation and discussing the subtle changes the platform has brought to their work. This conversation will pose a question to the audience: how can we reexamine our era within the realm of timeless images?
28 ApRIL
14:00 – 15:00
Beyond Fashion, Within Trends – The Floral Year of the 21st Century
Lei Yang (Joy Island), artist, photographer
Susie Au, film director, artist, photographer
Jingya Zhang, fashion curator, art director of Marie Claire China
Irene Jin, curator, project director of Marie Claire China
How to form one’s own photographic style, how to create visually surprising experiences, and how to express, document, and convey the spirit of an era through one’s own expression are probably challenges that every photography artist must face and solve. 2024 marks the twenty-fourth year after the millennium. Twenty-four years old, traditionally referred to as the “age of floral youth,” captures the most youthful and beautiful appearance. This talk will invite queen of MV and representative director of Y2K aesthetics, Susie Au, and fashion photographer and artist Lei Yang to start from their own creation and artistic thinking, revisiting the rhythm of fashion resonance and opening a new chapter in stylish imagery.
